Trustees

After training at St Thomas' Hospital in London and completing an Oncology Course at the Royal Marsden Hospital, Helen joined University Hospitals Bristol in 1987. During this time she worked as an Oncology Ward Sister and Palliative Care Nurse Specialist, before moving into clinical management roles as a Matron and Head of Nursing. In 2003 she completed a Masters degree at Reading University in Death and Society.

In 2012 Helen was appointed as the Deputy Chief Nurse, where her portfolio of work included operational, strategic and professional leadership for dementia care, reducing falls, end of life care, pre and post registration nurse education, the introduction of a new electronic rostering and acuity and dependency system, and adult and children's safeguarding.

Helen retired from her role in January 2021. Specific areas of interest for Helen are dementia, palliative and end of life care.

Helen was born in Northumberland and spent parts of her childhood in west Africa where her father worked. She settled in Sussex where she went to school before reading law at Bristol University.

Helen qualified as a solicitor and works full time as a litigation partner in international law firm DAC Beachcroft LLP. She is married with two daughters.

James is Director of People and Organisation Development at the University of Bristol. He has 20 years' experience in change management and human resources and holds Masters Degrees in both disciplines. He has previously worked for the charities Sustrans and Marie Curie in senior HR leadership roles. He has also worked for Deloitte as a consultant, and for The House of Commons where he led on workforce planning and resourcing. From 2017 to 2022 he served as an External Member of the National Trust's Council.

In his spare time James likes to collect vinyl, paint and ride his bike. He believes strongly in the importance of the voluntary sector and the benefits it offers to society as a whole. He is excited to have the opportunity to offer his skills and experience to St Peter's Hospice.

Mark was born in Dubai, before moving to the UK and studying at St Andrews University in Scotland. He worked in London for 13 years as an Investment Manager and latterly as a Private Banker, before moving to Bristol in 2011.

In 2012 Mark joined Lloyds Banking Group where he heads up Lloyds Private Clients team for the Wales and West region, which recently has set up a joint venture called Schroders Personal Wealth. He is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments. He lives near Chew Stoke with his wife, Louise, and their three young children.

Alison is a chartered accountant specialising in the charity sector. She completed her training with a charity-specialist firm in London, before undertaking a secondment to Oxfam's internal audit team to carry out audits across Africa and Asia. On moving to Gloucestershire, Alison took up the role of Head of Finance at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, a national conservation charity. Alison and her husband, later founded Godfrey Wilson, a charity-specialist accountancy firm in Bristol now working with over 250 charities across the UK.

Alison has held various voluntary roles throughout her career, including treasurer of several charities as well as frontline placements in Nepal and Kenya. She lives in Gloucestershire with her husband and two teenage sons and enjoys long walks in the countryside with her dog.

Rich is a Systems Engineer who retired from the British Army in October 2020, after over 35 years in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME). His final role was as the senior Land Systems Engineering Officer based in Navy Command Headquarters in Portsmouth, as the lead authority for all aspects of Land Systems Equipment Support, to the Royal Marines, Commando Forces and wider Naval Service.

He was brought up in Brentry, with a Bristolian mother who was referred to St Peter's Hospice in 2010 and a Fijian father who served 22 years in the British Army.

Rich held various roles in Army Rugby in both codes, as a player, coach, team manager and administrator. He was awarded an MBE in the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to British Army Rugby League.

After graduating, Rob undertook several roles in consultancy and financial services before joining the University of Bristol where he heads up Employer Engagement and Student Enterprise in the Careers team.

Rob has also held leadership roles in resourcing and Corporate Social Responsibility where he has led on employee, member and charity engagement for Nationwide Building Society. Outside of work Rob lives in Backwell with his wife, Laura and their three children. He enjoys coaching his local cricket team, Backwell Flax Bourton CC.

Alison qualified as a doctor from St Bartholomew's Hospital London Medical School 1980. After her hospital training jobs, she spent 30 years working as a GP in practices in inner City Bristol and South Gloucestershire.

She was a Macmillan GP for over 10 years. This involved working at local, regional and national levels to promote awareness of the early signs of cancer, palliative and end of life care amongst Primary Care staff.

She has been Associate Medical Director of ASW Cancer Network, this was followed by being the Clinical Lead for Cancer in South Gloucestershire CCG and then BNSSG CCG until 2021. These roles involved working in medical management and commissioning in Primary & Secondary Care, including service transformation and pathway redesign.

Alison has recently retired as Interim Medical Director for Sirona Care & Health. She is currently Chair of a Bristol based women's charity and the Designated Safeguarding Lead of Woodlands Group of Churches.

Alison is married with four adult children and four grandchildren. Apart from her voluntary commitments, Alison's family is her principal interest, but she also makes time for fitness activities, needlecraft, and the theatre.